About the 3rd District

Located in Sacramento, California’s Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District is one of the three original courts of appeal established by constitutional amendment in 1904. Its jurisdiction stretches over 23 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba. The geographical area of the District is larger than the combined area of Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

For the first 26 years of its existence, the Court was housed in the State Capitol Building. Then in 1929, the Court moved to the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building located at 914 Capitol Mall, directly across the street from the Capitol. That majestic building is a registered federal and state landmark.

During its history, four of the Court’s justices have gone on to serve as justices of the state Supreme Court. Two of its justices were distinguished veterans of the Civil War. And one of its justices was the first female to serve as an appellate court justice in California.

Centenial CelebrationA brief history of the creation and evolution of the California Courts of Appeal, including the Third Appellate District of the Court of Appeal in Sacramento. The fourteen panel exhibit traces the chronology of the courts from the establishment of the original three districts to the current six. The exhibit panels range in content from profiles of significant contributors to the success of the courts to outlining the roles and responsibilities of the Courts of Appeal.